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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. spell — magic
  10. rest — a break
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fine — all right
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lean — thin
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com